God Uses Ordinary People for Extraordinary Things

There was a young man back in the early 1800s that was overwhelmed with his sense of sinfulness. In his own words, he said that it wasn't so much that he feared hell as it was that he feared sin. He went to all the well known churches in his area, read all of the revered devotional books, but could not find a way to rid himself of his burden. He could not accept the easy going messages that seemed to regard conversion as little more than accepting an invitation.

One Sunday morning he couldn't make it to where he planned to attend due to a snow storm, and ended up in a small Primitive Methodist chapel where about a dozen people were in attendance. The minister had not been able to get there, likely due to the storm, so a thin looking man from the small congregation preached a brief message from Isaiah 45:22; "Look unto me all the ends of the earth and be ye saved." His poor pronounciation of words did not get in the way of his powerful and focused exhortation to look on Christ and Christ alone for salvation. At some point, the thin man looked straight at the struggling young man and said, "Young man, you look very miserable, and will always be miserable, miserable in life and miserable in death, if you don't obey my text. But if you obey now, this moment you will be saved. Young man, look to Jesus Christ. Look. You have nothin' to do but to look and live."

This young man, named Charles Haddon Spurgeon was saved that snowy morning. Interestingly enough, the church board had considering canceling the service that morning because of the cold.

"Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.
(Isa 45:22)


Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

An interesting story and an awesome Psalm

Psalm 34:8 says, "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" (Psa 34:8)

Do you trust in the Lord, even in the hardest of circumstances? Do you say, "Isn't God good?" even in the hardest of circumstances?

There is an interesting story behind this Psalm. Israel's first king, Saul, felt that David was a threat to his throne, and was trying to kill David. David fled for his life to the Philistine stronghold of Gath where he thought he would be safe from Saul. Unfortunately the Philistines recognized David and he became exceedingly afraid when he found out the servants of King Achish told him, "Isn't this David the king of the land? Did they not sing one to another of him in the dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands?" (1 Samuel 21:10f.)

David was sometimes very brave, but he was also sometimes very scared. David pretended he was insane to avoid being put to death by the Philistines, and escaped to a fortified cave where people on the run hung out.

And yet in the midst of his bleak looking future and his fear he wrote this mighty Psalm.

I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together. I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing. Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned. (Psa 34:1-22)

Is God good, or what?
Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Is God good, or what?

Today is "Is God good, or what?" day.

Many, O LORD my God, are Your wonderful works Which You have done; And Your thoughts toward us Cannot be recounted to You in order; If I would declare and speak of them, They are more than can be numbered.
(Psa 40:5)

We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.
(Psa 78:4)

Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness. Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, Bound in affliction and irons—Because they rebelled against the words of God, And despised the counsel of the Most High, Therefore He brought down their heart with labor; They fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And broke their chains in pieces. Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! For He has broken the gates of bronze, And cut the bars of iron in two. Fools, because of their transgression, And because of their iniquities, were afflicted. Their soul abhorred all manner of food, And they drew near to the gates of death. Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions. Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, And declare His works with rejoicing. Those who go down to the sea in ships, Who do business on great waters, They see the works of the LORD, And His wonders in the deep. For He commands and raises the stormy wind, Which lifts up the waves of the sea. They mount up to the heavens, They go down again to the depths; Their soul melts because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits' end. Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, So that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven. Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
(Psa 107:8-31)

May the Lord grant you the grace to give thanks to the LORD for His goodness each day, and to dwell under the blessing of the Almighty.

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Claudia and I would like to wish all of you a very merry Christmas. My apology for not getting a blog out yesterday prior to our Christmas Eve Service. It went well, and we enjoyed meeting some new people, as well as sharing best wishes with old friends.

As we approach a new year it is a good time to look at where you are with the Lord and ask yourself if there are any changes He would have you make.

If you are not currently involved in a local church family come join us and experience the joy and the challenge of building Christ centered relationships. There are people that would be blessed by your friendship in Christ, and there are people that would be a great blessing to you and yours. God designed us to be part of a family called the church of Jesus Christ, and it's just as important for us to be part of a family as it is for kids to be part of a family.

In all our desire to be self-sufficient and independent, we often miss God's beautiful design for our life. You were created as part of a body, and it's time to recognize your need for the other parts :)

I love you and trust that the Lord will greatly bless you this season and in the coming year.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor B. and Claudia

The Gift of Prophesying

Prophesying is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and means to speak forth under the power of God, and in particular, to foretell. The first mention of prophesying in the Old Testament congegation/church is in Numbers, about 1550 B.C.

So Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD, and he gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tabernacle. Then the LORD came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders; and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again.

But two men had remained in the camp: the name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them. Now they were among those listed, but who had not gone out to the tabernacle; yet they prophesied in the camp.

And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp." So Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, one of his choice men, answered and said, "Moses my lord, forbid them!" Then Moses said to him, "Are you zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!" And Moses returned to the camp, he and the elders of Israel.
(Num 11:24-30)

It is interesting that the Lord mentions here that the chosen seventy elders prophesied the first time that the spirit rested upon them, and then never again. It is equally interesting to note that a few members of the congregation that were not selected as leaders began prophesying. Joshua wanted Moses to forbid them, and Moses' response was "Oh, that all the LORD's people were prophets and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!".

Then we move 1600 years later, and find the Spirit of God coming once again upon God's congregation after the resurrection and glorification of Christ. Only this time, Christ's followers were filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied in other tongues in fulfillment of Joel the prophet's prophecy (Acts 2:4-11, 17-18), speaking of the wonderful works of God in languages from around the world.

I don't know if there was a Joshua in their midst, asking the apostles to forbid certain of the people, but this time the work of the Spirit was upon so many there wouldn't have been any controlling of it had they wanted to. But in 1 Corinthians 14 we read that there are two types of prophesying. The type of prophesying that is a sign to unbelievers when they hear us miraculously prophesy in a language they understand, but is foreign to us (this is what happened in Pentecost in Acts 2), and the type of prophesying that encourages the church family when we exhort one another in the church gatherings in the language we all understand.

"Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues. Let all things be done decently and in order."

On the one hand, we must desire the outpouring of God's Spirit and the accompanying outpouring of prophesying, but on the other hand we must be careful to follow God's design for our giftings and submit to God's leadership within the assembly in our exercise of our spiritual gifts. Remember your spiritual gifts are to be used to serve and encourage, not to put on a show.

May the Lord bless you with an outpouring of spiritual gifts this Christmas season, and may you use them in an orderly manner to build up the church family God has blessed you with.

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Do you remember Zacharias the Baptist?

Do you remember the Bible story of Zacharias the Baptist? C'mon you Bible scholars and masters of Bible trivia. (No fair those of you that heard Pastor B's message last Sunday :) )

Of course, a better translation would be Zacharias the Immerser, since the Greek word for baptizer means one who immerses, dips, washes, and such; i.e., an Immerser.

Anyone remember the story? Well, actually it's a trick question of sorts. There really isn't a 'Zacharias the Baptist' in our Bibles, or even in the various writings of history to my knowledge. But there is a John the Immerser (more popularly known as 'John the Baptist'). So why ask you about Zacharias the Immerser? The reason is that John the Immerser's father was named Zacharias, and that he would have been named after his dad had an angel of the Lord not appeared to Zacharias with a special announcement.

But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.
(Luk 1:13-14)

So it was, on the eighth day, that they came to circumcise the child; and they would have called him by the name of his father, Zacharias. His mother answered and said, "No; he shall be called John." But they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name."
(Luk 1:59-61)

And my point is? My point is that God is at work all around us, and that even names are under His purview. Who knows what aspects of the Christmas story might read a little differently had not God attended to every detail.

Four wise men instead of three (did the Bible say there were three?); shepherds getting word in the morning instead of at night? In their beds, instead of in their fields?

We have a heavenly Father that in the midst of a world tarnished by man's sin, who paints beautiful portraits and landscapes, weaves wonderful tapestries, and blesses us along our way with glorious gifts. As James said, every good and perfect gift is from above.

Do you count your many blessings? Can you name them one by one? Count your many blessings and see what God has done.

We have a great big wonderful God.

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

What gifts do you bring?

What gifts are you bringing the Christ child this year? The wise men brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Throughout the ages, people have brought royalty gifts as a token of good will and a gesture of friendship and best wishes.



Throughout the ages, people approaching prophets of God with special powers brought gifts as a token of their trust in him and appreciation in advance for the help they were coming to request.

When King Solomon dedicated the newly built temple to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, he offered 120,000 sheep, and 22,000 bulls!

So what is it that you wish of God? What gifts to you bring?


The funny thing is, that our God is not that impressed with our gifts. The prophet Samuel once told a famous king, "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams." (1 Sam 15:22)

The prophet Hosea said that God desires mercy and not sacrifice, and people getting to know Him more than burnt offerings. (Hos 6:6)

The best gift you can give God this Christmas season is your heart. A renewed commitment to get to know Him and His Word, and to obey Him and His Word. What better expression of your love than to serve Him with all of your heart!

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Hark, the Herald Angel's Staff

A Herald is a public messenger, and the ancient caduceus was actually the staff of the divine herald, or public messenger. It is thought to have developed from a shepherd's crook, in the form of a forked olive branch, which for this purpose has been adorned with first two fillets of Lamb's wool, then with white ribbons and finally with two snakes intertwined. Are we seeing any symbolism yet? Wow! So though we often think of healing when we think of this staff, it is actually the staff of proclamation or announcing that is carried by a divine messenger! And it somehow came to include healing. A public proclamation that is related to a divine messenger and healing? hmmmmmm.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent [Saraph (sing.); Saraphim (pl.)], and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live." So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. (Num 21:8-9)

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. (Joh 3:14-15)

"THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE HAS ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR; HE HAS SENT ME TO HEAL THE BROKENHEARTED, TO PROCLAIM LIBERTY TO THE CAPTIVES AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET AT LIBERTY THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED; (Jesus in Luk 4:18, quoting Isaiah 61:1)

Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Glory to the Christ Child that is going to save us from our sin! Shout it from the rooftops. There is healing through the shed blood of the Christ! Healing for the poor, the brokenhearted, the captives, the blind, the oppressed. Freedom from not only the penalty, but from the power of sin.

Join your local chapter of Heralds and proclaim the good news!! Call on people everywhere to repent, and be immersed, calling on the name of the Lord Jesus that they too might receive the gift of the Holy Spirit this Christmas season. (Acts 2:38).

Yours in Him,

Pastor B.

D-day

Has the Holy Spirit been prompting you to start any new ministry lately? Or, serve Him in a new capacity? Or, get involved in a new outreach? Have you been praying with your pastor, or with another brother or sister in Christ about it? D-day was an expression used by the military to plan an operation when they didn't yet know which specific day they were starting. (Because D-day turned out to be June 6, 1944 for the largest amphibious assault in military history, it has become synonymous with that particular operation.)

So what changes are you planning for the Lord? What new beginnings are you yet to launch? The enemy is entrenched in this world just as the Nazis were entrenched on the beaches of Normandy, but the word of God promises that the gates of hell will not hold up against us.

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
(Mat 16:18)

Everything we do matters to God, and even though you may not feel you can do much, God uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. So which beach does the Lord want you to venture forth on? And when is your D-day; your planned launch? Maybe today?

When God launches His invasion of planet earth at the end of this age, Jesus will return with the saints to execute judgment on this world. Fortunately there is still time for us to rescue those that are outside the fold of Christ, to nurture the young and weak that are within the fold, and to prayerfully and boldly step out in faith for the cause of Christ.

Be bold, be brave, for the Lord your God is with you!
Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Our C-Day

-DAY. Your ultimate day of choice. Your day when you decide once and for all whether you are going to serve the Lord, or not.

No matter what the circumstances, there can never be an excuse for rebellion against the Lord if He is the wonderful, holy, righteous God that the scriptures tell us He is. Satan and certain other angels rebelled against God. And since misery apparently loves company, and rebels resent authority, we find Satan tempting the first woman to rebel and fall away from God. Why God chose to make the tree of life in the midst of the garden the chosen battlefield I do not know. However, what I do know is that all of us have our C-day. Our day of destiny in which we make that once and for all decision.

God basically told Adam that he set before him life and good, and death and evil. Life and good would be his if he trusted and obeyed the Lord. Death and evil would be his if he partook of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the midst of the garden, a paradox of all paradoxes, but a choice, nonetheless.


Moses addressed the people of Israel regarding their choice:

But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it. "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess. But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess. I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."
(Deu 30:14-20)

Joshua addressed the people of Israel regarding their choice:

"Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
(Jos 24:14-15)

And then about 1500 years later in a town called Bethlehem of Judea, a Savior was born.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
(Joh 1:14)

But the two verses before the above verse again face us with a choice. To move from being simply a believer to a RECEIVER of God's gift of salvation, or not to do so.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
(Joh 1:12-13)

Have you had your C-Day? Your day of ultimate choice? Your day when you once and for all received God's gift of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ and committed to serve Him? It is this right standing with God through the shed blood of the Christ that ultimately brings us peace on earth and good will toward men.

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Soul Power

In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength (Hebrew 'oze') in my soul.
(Psa 138:3)

The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father's God, and I will exalt Him.
(Exo 15:2)

Spiritual soul power is connected to Holy Spirit boldness and worship. If the LORD is your strength than He is your Song. If the LORD is your song then He has become your salvation. If you have put your faith in the LORD (By grace you are saved through faith), then He is your shield.

The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him. The LORD is their strength, And He is the saving refuge of His anointed. Save Your people, And bless Your inheritance; Shepherd them also, And bear them up forever.
(Psa 28:7-9)

The Lord is the saving refuge of His anointed. He brings us strength as our hearts trust in Him and rejoice in Him.

AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.' (Mar 12:30)

As goes your heart so goes your soul. As goes your soul so goes your mind. As goes your mind so goes your strength.

Soul power. Comes to those that have hearts after God, and minds turned to God.
May the Lord strengthen you with all might in your inner man.


that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Eph 3:16-21)

Have an awesome day and week in the Lord!
Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

THESE THINGS

What delicious dishes God prepares for His own. One of my dear sisters in the Lord reminded me today of how I am constantly talking of the good things God is cooking in the kitchen for His children. It may not always be the dish we are hoping for at a particular time, but it is always a dish that will satisfy and delight our spirit. Just as Thanksgiving and Christmas are often family times for gathering together in the kitchen and around the table, so living in God's kingdom is a family time of gathering together and around His table.

Unfortunately, just as unforgiveness, bitterness, backbiting, complaining, arrogance, selfishness, and such has ruined many an earthly family gathering, so it is that such things prevent us from fellowshipping in the kitchen and around the table of God's kingdom.

for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. (Rom 14:17-19)

Isn't it interesting that the Word of God says that if we serve Christ in THESE THINGS, we will find favor with God and man. What are the THESE THINGS? Fasting, praying, studying the Word, laboring in various ministries and outreaches? No, THESE THINGS are not good works that we perform, but are the work that the Holy Spirit performs in us! As Jesus points out in Revelation 3:20, the invitation is ever before us to sit down with God, and be blessed with the righteousnes, peace, and joy of Jesus Christ. We must but BELIEVE and RECEIVE, howeve, if we are to possess them. To possess Christ is to possess THESE THINGS!

He that has the Son has life. He that has not the Son of God has not life. (1 John 5:12).

Yours in Him,

Pastor B.

Longing for His Blessing

One of the ways that God's saints have expressed their longing for God's blessing was to lift up outstretched hands from a standing or kneeling position. We stretch forth our hands in recognition of His awesomeness and holiness, and with a plea for His blessing, longing for relief for our souls.

Hear my prayer, O LORD, Give ear to my supplications! In Your faithfulness answer me, And in Your righteousness. Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no one living is righteous. For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in darkness, Like those who have long been dead. Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; My heart within me is distressed. I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands. I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah Answer me speedily, O LORD; My spirit fails! Do not hide Your face from me, Lest I be like those who go down into the pit. Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You. Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies; In You I take shelter. Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness. Revive me, O LORD, for Your name's sake! For Your righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble. In Your mercy cut off my enemies, And destroy all those who afflict my soul; For I am Your servant.
(Psa 143:1-12)

In 1 Kings 8:54 we read of King Solomon getting up from his knees before the altar of God after praying with his hands spread up to heaven. Are you longing for God's blessing? Is your soul weary and in need of refreshment? How about getting on your knees, lifting your hands up to God, and praying out loud. Tell your heavenly Father your soul's need, and ask Him to refresh and revive you. It's a humbling thing to get down on your knees, but it lets your master know that you recognize and honor Him as your master, and that recognize yourself as His servant.

YOU WILL BE BLESSED!
Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Eating Too Expensively and the Danger of Debt

Eating too expensively is not one of the seven abominable sins listed in Proverbs 6. (Can you name them?)

But gluttony is one of the seven deadly sins listed by the Roman church in the 4th - 6th century. Medieval church leader Thomas Aquinas came up with a list of six ways one could commit gluttony: eating too soon, eating too expensively, eating too much, eating too eagerly, eating too daintily, and eating wildly. What caught my attention about his list was the "Eating too expensively" part. I'm taking the David Ramsey Financial Peace University course right now with several families in our church and he talks about how our financial habits can not only drive us into debt, they can keep us in debt.

Doing anything "too expensively" can be foolish, and financially crippling. Did you know that if you saved a hundred dollars a month in your young adult years and put it in a conservative investement that you could be worth over a million dollars by the time you retired?

My good friend Doug Broadbent said his mother used to say that if you watch your pennies the dollars will take care of themselves. I guess the flip side of that coin is that if you don't watch your pennies the dollars will magically disappear. Ouch!

We're going to start a new Financial Peace University class in mid January for 13 weeks on Tuesday nights in Port St. John if any of you are interested.

We're Christmas caroling Friday night, Dec. 18th in Port St. John if any of you are interested, and we're doing a Christmas Eve communion service on the 24th at 6:00 p.m.

Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, And attend to your herds; (Pro 27:23)

Yet He sets the poor on high, far from affliction, And makes their families like a flock. The righteous see it and rejoice, And all iniquity stops its mouth. Whoever is wise will observe these things, And they will understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.
(Psa 107:41-43)

Praying for all of you,
Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Does this count as Tuesday?

So here I am at 12:22 a.m. EST doing Tuesday's blog. hmmmmmmmm. It will be interesting to see if the Blog lets me slide this by as my Tuesday blog.

My apology for not getting this to you earlier.

O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy- Neh 1:11

Thank the Lord that He is there for us 24/7 and always up for a chat.

God's wings are always extended to provide us cover and protection and shelter.

He is the Lord of Hosts and King of kings, the creator of all things, and the ruler over all things. He wins every battle and the only time I ever saw Him run was when He ran to me took me up in His arms and said how glad He was that His son had come home again.

The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident. One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD. Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, "Seek My face," My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek." Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. (Psa 27:1-9)

God is our light. GOd is our deliverance. We shall not fear.
God is our strength and we are mighty children of God. We shall not be afraid.

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Freed to do What?

Many that are imprisoned stretch out their hands to the heavens and cry out for deliverance.

Many of us want to be freed from our financial woes, our health woes, or our emotional woes. But have you ever asked yourself the question, "Freed to do what?" Freed to spend more money on ourselves? Freed to enjoy our hobbies more? Freed to relax more? Freed to pursue personal goals?

Freed to better serve the Lord? Freed to enable us to live more holy and righteously?

John the Immerser's father, Zacharias knew the purpose of freedom.

"To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our enemies, Might serve Him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life."
(Luk 1:74-75)

So as we pray for freedom and revivial, let us be sure that our petition is coming from a heart whose desire is for God's people to rejoice in Him, and to better serve Him.

Will You not revive us again, That Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, LORD, And grant us Your salvation. I will hear what God the LORD will speak, For He will speak peace To His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly.
(Psa 85:6-8)

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Hear Me When I Call

Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer. (Psa 4:1)

Do you know the reason that we have confidence God hears us? It is because we are righteous in Him! God is the source of our righteousness. He our God AND our righteousness.

and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
(Php 3:9)

Wow! Through faith in Christ and His work on our behalf, we can be clothed with the righteousness of God!!

Given that, how can we who claim the name of Christ choose to put Christ to shame? How can we have a passion for the empty fruitless things of the world, that while having a semblance of satisfaction, are ultimately empty and worthless. What the world has to offer is a mirage, it is a lie and a deception.

How long, O you sons of men, Will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness And seek falsehood? Selah. (Psa 4:2)

God has set apart unto Himself a people for His name. A people that are clothed with the righteousness of God.

But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him. Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And put your trust in the LORD. There are many who say, "Who will show us any good?" LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us. You have put gladness in my heart, More than in the season that their grain and wine increased. I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. (Psa 4:3-8)

In the Lord we have our righteousness, we have no worry, we have the object of our affection, the one on whom we can meditate day and night, the one in whom we can trust as our provider and protector. The one who is the source of true joy and true blessing.

The one in whom we can find eternal rest, beginning the moment we put our trust in and desire on Him. Now is our day of deliverance, Today is our day of salvation from the power of sin, the draw of the world, and the snares of the accuser.

Praise God for NOTHING can separate us from the love of God.

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Fighting for You in Prayer

Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always fighting for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. (Col 4:12)

Are you fighting for your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers, and your loved ones? Though many Bible translations don't use the word "fight" in this verse, the same Greek word for "fight" is here that is found in 1 Timothy 6:12 and 2 Timothy 4:7 where Paul talks of fighting the good fight of faith.

If you care enough to fight the fight, you care enough to pray. Pray is certainly at the heart of fighting the good fight of faith, as it takes determination and persistence to pray in faith even when things don't appear to be changing. But like the experienced farmer that sows his seed and works his fields, the experienced prayer warrior knows that his prayers are heard, and that victory is coming.- Baron Eickhoff

The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men…Men of prayer." --E. M. Bounds

We hear it said that a man will suffer in his life is he does not pray; I question it. What will suffer is the life of the Son of God within him, which is nourished not by food but by prayer...Prayer is the way the life of God is nourished. --Oswald Chambers

God never gives us discernment in order that we may criticize, but that we may intercede. -- Oswald Chambers

"Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still." E.M. Bounds

"We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties." Oswald Chambers

"We are too busy to pray, and so we are too busy to have power. We have a great deal of activity, but we accomplish little; many services but few conversions; much machinery but few results." R. A. Torrey

No one is a firmer believer in the power of prayer than the devil; not that he practices it, but he suffers from it. ~Guy H. King

I prayed for twenty years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs. ~Frederick Douglass, escaped slave

Practical prayer is harder on the soles of your shoes than on the knees of your trousers. ~Austin O'Malley

We are fooling ourselves if we think that the key to spiritual victory is amassing great numbers of prayer warriors to invest many hours of prayer, as if the enemy will be crushed by the sheer weight of our numbers and our utterances. The enemy is only overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and one little word uttered in faith can fell him! - Baron Eickhoff

If you have to coerce a child to constantly play, something is very wrong with that child. If you have to coerce a Christian to constantly pray, something is very wrong with that Christian.- Baron Eickhoff

Yours in Him,

Pastor B.

Have You been infected with Secularitis?

Secularitis is a serious human malady. It sets in when we begin to think that things like managing our finances, managing our time, and managing physical things in general are secular matters, as opposed to church activity, prayer, Bible study and such, which are religious matters.

This disease broke out in the new nation of Israel when they got into their new land. If you remember they cried out as a young nation for a king that could do battle with their enemies, secure their borders, and strengthen their economy. Their argument with the prophet Samuel was that this was how other nations achieved these goals, and that Israel could learn from the success of their neighbors, and implement these proven secular principles. What harm could there be in that? After all, it wasn't like they were going to abolish sabbath or stop worshipping Yahweh.

The prophet Samuel was greatly grieved at this worldly way of thinking, and the way they were removing God from the key aspects of their national life by adopting worldly principles that they felt worked well for the pagans around them. After all, Egypt achieved great rich, power, and wealth by setting up a secular government. How soon they had forgotten that Yahweh drowned the great Egyptian army in the sea with one wave of His hand. They had rejected God by their insistence on leaving Him out of the equations not involving religious activity.

This rejection of God is rebellion, plain and simple.

And the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. (1Sa 8:7)

But you have today rejected your God, who Himself saved you from all your adversities and your tribulations; and you have said to Him, 'No, set a king over us!' (1Sa 10:19)

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. "
(1Sa 15:23)

Have you been infected with Secularitis? Have you separated God from certain aspects of your life in order to better manage it the way the world manages things? The cure for secularitis is letting God know you want Him to reign over every area of your life, then seeking God's will in every aspect of your life, and finally, obeying it. Trust and obey, for there's no other way.

Yours in Him,

Pastor B.

Catching the Time

On your mark, get set, go! Wow, look at that time run. It's amazing how fast time can run by.

The problem with time, is that though it belongs to you, it has beens separated from you by sin, and you are going to have to pay a ransom price, i.e., redeem it, if you want it back so it can serve you as it was orginally intended.

We have all gone astray and had to be bought back in order to be brought back, and so it is with our time. Like a man in his sin, time is running amuck. But just how do you purchase the freedom of your time so that it can serve you?

Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light." See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
(Eph 5:14-17)

Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
(Col 4:5-6)

The interesting thing here, is that the Word of God says that the payment price for redeeming our time is walking in wisdom by understanding what the will of the Lord is in our lives.

Have you ever considered that if Christ bought you with His precious blood, that He should have claim to your time as well as your talents (i.e., finances and skills)?

So letting our time run amuck is not just a disservice to ourselves, it is a disservice to the God we serve.

God, help us to understand your will for us each day, and walk in wisdom with our time.

Yours in Him,

Pastor B.

Are You on a Mission?

"Mission"- A body of persons sent to establish relations with a foreign country." Mission comes from the Latin 'missio' meaning to send. The Greek word is ä-po-ste'l-lō' (An apostle in the New Testament was a 'sent one').

God has always gone to great lengths to send us His light, His truth, His Spirit, and His Word:

Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!(Psa 43:3)
You send forth Your Spirit . . . And You renew the face of the earth. (Psa 104:30)
He sent Moses His servant, And Aaron whom He had chosen. (Psa 105:26)
He sends out His command to the earth; His word runs very swiftly . . . He sends out His word and melts them;
(Psa 147:15-17)

God then sent the embodiment of His light, His truth, His Spirit, and His Word through Jesus Christ. And now we are His ambassadors, His mission, if you will.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2Co 5:17-21)

We, the church of Jesus Christ, are God's embassy here on earth. We are to plead with people that are alienated from God by sin to establish relationship with Him through repentance and faith in Christ. God is holy and righteous, and is a consuming fire that will judge and take vengeance on wickedness. But through the blood of the Lamb that covers and takes away our sin we can wear the white robe of the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus through faith. Calling all sinners, run for the embassy where you can find refuge from the wrath to come.

Are you on a Mission?

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Freedom in Christ

Are you free in Christ? What does that mean, exactly?

Does that mean you are free to dress like you want, spend your money like you want, spend your time like you want, and indulge in any socially acceptable habit that you want?

Is freedom really being able to do whatever we please? Is that the kind of freedom that Christ bought for us with His blood? The freedom to do whatever we please? The freedom to indulge in whatever activity gives us pleasure or satisfaction, as long as it's not against the rules of God's Word?

A baseball player that sits in the outfield picking daisies isn't violating any rules of the game, but wouldn't you agree that he's not doing what he's supposed to be doing?

So why would we think that we can sit in the field picking daisies and call ourselves Christ followers just because we're not violating any rules in the book?

Freedom in Christ is actually experienced as we surrender our will to His will, and live out our mission here on earth as obedient children, and as slaves of God.

But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. (Rom 6:22)

The freedom we have in Christ is not one of doing what we please, but being able to do what He pleases. Apart from Christ we cannot please God.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Heb 11:6)

God didn't call us to a life of indulgence and ease, but to a life of self-sacrifice and service in the Lord's army corps.

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. (2Ti 2:3-4)

Are you free in Christ? What does that mean exactly?

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Thanksgiving and the Pursuit of Happiness

What makes you thankful?

Brother Roy Coy sent out a devotion today (in his typical 4:00 a.m. way :) - maybe I should try getting up at 4:00 a.m.) challenging us to ask a very good question, "What would it take to make me happy?"

Our founding fathers talked of the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Though we Americans probably have a higher quality and degree of life and liberty than most, we do spend a lot of time and energy pursuing that ever elusive thing called happiness.

So, what exactly are we pursuing? A group of Pilgrims pursuing religious freedom came to our shores in 1620, and the cold, sleet, and snow of the first winter was so severe that less than 50 of the 110 Pilgrims and crew survived it. Yet instead of bitterness toward God for the dead, there was thanksgiving toward God for the living. And on March 16, 1621, a miracle occurred- an Indian walked into their settlement, and he spoke English! His name was Samoset, and the rest is history. The birth of a holiday we call Thanksgiving, and the birth of a nation that we call America. And who knows. The outcome of our history may have been very different had those Pilgrims not chosen to be thankful in the midst of their loss and grief.

For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES ON HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME." (Rom 10:10-11)

Those Pilgrims were not put to shame. They were ultimately delivered, and
ultimately used by God to found a great nation.

I do not know what God has in store for you, but I do know that He has a beautiful plan for your life, and that the choices you make each day affect others around you.

Maybe a different twist on the question of happiness, would be to ask you, whose happiness are you purusing? Your own, others, or God's?

To puruse His will, to know it, to obey it, and to stay in it, is probably the most effective way to bring true happiness. For in pursuing the happiness of your Heavenly Father, you bring His kingdom to earth (Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven), and with His kingdom comes righteousness, peace- the everlasting Holy Spirit kind!

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Enter into His Presence with Thanksgiving

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. (Psa 95:1-2)

Notice that even if you can't sing you can make a joyful noise! Express your thankfulness to God for your many blessings. Count your many blessings. Name them one by one!

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1Th 5:16-18)

God wants us to always be in the mode of rejoicing in His goodness, praying, and giving thanks in every circumstance.

How in the world we do THAT?

Somehow we must rejoice, pray, and thank Him when we wake up, when we get ready to start a new day, when we drive to work, when we work, when we take our breaks, when we are home, when we are resting, when we are engaged in community activities, when we are shopping, and when we retire for the evening.

Obviously, our rejoicing, prayers, and thanks can't be limited to dinner time, bed time, church services, or special prayer meetings.

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up. (Psa 5:3)

I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
(Psa 34:1)

But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense And refuge in the day of my trouble. (Psa 59:16)

Does God hear your voice first thing in the morning? Do you tell Him how grateful you are for His love? Do you praise Him and thank Him as you get ready for your new day? Does your praise and thanks continue throughout your day?

Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice. (Psa 55:17)

My wife, Claudia, and I want to invite you to a special Thanksgiving Eve communion service at our church this Wednesday night from 7-8 p.m. (5195 S. Washington Ave. on the east side of U.S. 1 in Titusville - about a mile north of the 405 overpass). (Main parking is to the rear of the building.)


We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, . . . For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
(Col 1:3-9)

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

God's Elite Guard

Hard to imagine the magnificence of the two cherubim, the 15 foot high angelic guardians of the holy of holies and the ark of the covenant. It appears that they may be capable of wielding flaming swords since Genesis 3:24 says:

So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
(Gen 3:24)

There is some debate as to whether the cherubim are angels that are special attendants of God, or whether they are their own separate class of created beings. In Psalm 104:4 we read:

Who makes His angels spirits, His attendants a flame of fire.

Are the angels the attendants, or are the attendants a separate group from the angels?

One thing we do know about angels is that they look after God's own.

For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. (Psa 91:11)

Another thing we do know is that there is a heavenly army (i.e., host), and

All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, "What have You done?" (Dan 4:35)

This is good news for us, because this means that the Lord is the commander in chief of the heavenly army, and that no adversary can prevent Him from accomplishing His purposes.

Take comfort in knowing that though war should rise against you, your heart need not fear.


The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; . . . For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD. Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, "Seek My face," My heart said to You, "Your face, LORD, I will seek." Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the LORD will take care of me. Teach me Your way, O LORD, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD! (Psa 27:1-14)

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

The Holy Spirit brought us what Jesus bought us!

Did you know that the Space Shuttle delivers cargo through the darkness of space?

Did you know that the Holy Spirit delivers cargo through the darkness of this world?

Jesus bought us a precious gift when He died on the cross and rose from the grave 2,000 years ago, but who was going to deliver the precious cargo of everlasting life?

Man sits in darkness with no hope, blinded by his sin and his adversary, the devil.

But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. (2Co 4:3-4)

But Praise God that in the midst of the darkness God launched the Holy Spirit who carried the precious cargo of new life in Christ to a dying world. Praise God that in the midst of my darkness God launched the Holy Spirit who carried the precious gift of new life in Christ to me!

In our Christian heritage we are careful to remember what was accomplished on Mount Calvary and those last words of Jesus, "It is finished." But even though the payment of our sin had been finished there in Calvary, the delivery of what had been purchased had yet to be made! The Holy Spirit had yet to be launched!

And then on another mountain, Mount Olivet, a risen Jesus spoke those last words before His ascension to His throne, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me". The Holy Spirit was about to be launched!

Power! Power in the Holy Spirit! When a Christian says, "I have no power", what they are really saying is, "I have no power in the Holy Spirit". The Holy Spirit doesn't want to dock at your station and have you admire Him. He wants you to open up those bay doors and receive the victory that He has brought to you. It's a victory that Christ bought for you, but that you must take personal delivery of.

Don't pray for the Holy Spirit if you are a Christian, because He has already docked in you. Pray for the power! And when you pray for the power He will come upon you!!

The early Christians prayed for the power to boldly procliam Christ's word, and they got room shaking Holy Spirit power!

Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus." And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. (Act 4:29-31)

Pray for the power to be His witness, and watch what shakes out!!!

Yours in Him,

Pastor B.

By the way, did you know that the shuttle is mentioned in the Old Testament book of Job?

The Narrow Gate and Farmer Brown's Garden

"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Mat 7:13-14)

Peter Rabbit was a naughty boy who got himself in trouble feasting on the delights of Farmer Brown's garden. He had great trouble finding, and then getting safely to, the narrow gate that he knew would lead to safety.

Fortunately for Peter, he found his way to the narrow gate and was able to escape to safety. But I'm sure there were many rabbits that didn't make it to through that narrow gate alive. (In the picture, Farmer Brown with his rake is pursuing Peter, trying to catch him before he makes it through the narrow gate.)

Most, if not all of us have found ourselves caught up in the things of the world at one time or another. While that in itself is a problem, the far greater danger is that the the things of the world can mesmerize us into spiritual oblivion. Once immersed in the things of the world, we may never find our way out of its garden of delights, and may not find our way back to that narrow gate.

By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. (Heb 11:24-26)

Moses felt that bearing the suffering and shame of Christ was a greater treasure than enjoying the fame, fortune, power, and luxuries of all Egypt.

Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. (Heb 13:13-14)

We are foreigners behind enemy lines here on earth in this life. We are seeking a kingdom yet to come. In the mean time we are God's Resistance movement, if you will. On the other side of the narrow gate can be suffering and shame for a season, but it ultimately leads to safety and glory that far exceeds the enticements of Farmer Brown's garden.

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Fearing God with Our Tongue

Take a look at the sins which Christian leaders were dealing with back in the late 1st century in the days after the death of the last living apostle (John).

2:1 And the teaching of the second commandment is this: 2 You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery; you shall not seduce boys; you shall not fornicate. You shall not steal. You shall not be a fortune-teller; you shall not practice sorcery. You shall not kill a child by abortion nor slay it when born. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor. 3 You shall not commit perjury; you shall not give false testimony; you shall not speak evil; you shall not bear malice; 4 you shall not be double-minded or double-tongued, for a double-tongue is a snare of death. 5 Your word shall not be false or empty, but confirmed by deeds. 6 You shall not be greedy or rapacious or hypocritical or malicious or arrogant. You shall not take up an evil plot against your neighbor. 7 You shall not hate anyone, but some you shall rebuke, and some you shall pray for, and some you shall love more than your own soul. - Didache

Thou shalt not commit fornication, thou shalt not commit
adultery, thou shalt not corrupt boys. The word of God shall not
come forth from thee where any are unclean. Thou shalt not make a
difference in a person to reprove him for a transgression. Thou shalt
be meek, thou shalt be quiet, thou shalt be fearing the words
which thou hast heard. Thou shalt not bear a grudge against thy
brother.

Thou shalt not doubt whether a thing shall be or not be. Thou shalt
not take the name of the Lord in vain. Thou shalt love thy
neighbor more than thine own soul. Thou shalt not murder a child by
abortion, nor again shalt thou kill it when it is born. Thou shalt
not withhold thy hand from thy son or daughter, but from their youth
thou shalt teach them the fear of God. - Barnabas 19:4-5

Other than the command to not slay a child when it is born, it looks like the 1st century world struggled with the same moral issues that the 21st century world struggles with, and it is reported that cultures within China, India, Pakistan, and others have condoned the killing of unwanted children when they are born, particularly female children.

But isn't it interesting that even in these early writings of the church fathers that the sin of thinking and speaking badly of one another is in the lists with murder and adultery and sorcery.

So what is our problem? Why is the tongue such a problem? Jesus said in Matthew 12:36 that we will be held accountable, not just for our bad words, but for our "idle" words. In James 3:8 we read that noone can tame the tongue, that it is an unruly evil, and full of deadly poison. Wow!

Someone that is truly meek and humble is not likely to use their tongue to criticize and tear down others. It is the arrogant and the prideful that readily criticize and find fault, and top of that justify their critical speaking.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
(Pro 1:7)

The beginning of truly knowing the Lord, and understanding His ways is fearing Him. Respecting Him and His word enough to submit, confess our sins, and turn from our sin, rather than justifying it. Some would call this repentance. It's a choice. Justify our sin, or repent of our sin. Many of us can't imagine ourselves ever justifying murder, but can we imagine ourselves justifying a critical and judgmental spirit and evil speaking? Let's fear our God with our tongue, as well as our deeds.

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
(Col 3:17)

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

Keep Shining, Church

Did you see that new sign that all the churches are putting up outside their buildings? The one that says,

"Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Actually I haven't ever seen the above words on a church sign, but I've often wanted to put the above words outside our own church facility.

Now granted, our church is not large, and not overflowing with natural resources and opportunity for financial freedom like the United States has always been, but shouldn't our churches be bright beacons of hope for the destitute, the needy, and the broken? Lighthouses on the rock in the midst of the storms?

The hope we offer isn't free handouts and us taking caring of people so that they don't have to take care of themselves. It's a hope in the form of deliverance in Christ, family in Christ, and eve friendship in Christ. Coming along side of people to help them grow in Christ, and glorify God in their lives.

Yes, there are many people out there that have learned to work the system, to take advantage of kind souls, and to avoid taking on responsibility for themselves and their families. But since when does a lighthouse try to determine which boats out there are up to no good, and which boats are honorable? The point is, there are darkness and storms out there, and our purpose is to stand on the rock and shine our light!

Arise, O church of Jesus Christ, and shine for the glory of God! Christ your Savior has come and has risen! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you through the power of the Holy Spirit! Look, the earth is covered in darkness, and the people in deep darkness. But the Lord is building you into a bright and shining city on the mountain rock of the King of kings and Lord of lords! Proclaim deliverance to the captives and the broken. Proclaim deliverance to those in bondage! Beckon all to our shores where freedom and healing are in abundance. Where righteousness, peace, and joy abide in the Holy Spirit. His glory will be seen upon you as you talk and walk in the Spirit, and the nations will come to your light. Even kings will come to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes and look all around. The fields are ripe for harvest, and our sons and daughters will come into the kingdom. (based on Isa 60:1-4, Is. 61:1, Mt. 5:14-16)

Praise the Lord! Keep shining, church!!

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

His Blessing is in the Details

Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the vestibule, its houses, its treasuries, its upper chambers, its inner chambers, and the place of the mercy seat; and the plans for all that he had by the Spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD, of all the chambers all around, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries for the dedicated things;
(1Ch 28:11-12)

And in the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished in all its details and according to all its plans. So he was seven years in building it. (1Ki 6:38)


Solomon had the daunting task of building a temple to God's detailed specifications. And yet, he faithfully saw to it that the temple was finished per those detailed specifications.



Under the New Covenant, we are the temple of God.

Do you not know that you (plural) are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (1Co 3:16)

having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Eph 2:20-22)

And God has given the details on how the New Covenant temple is to be built.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Mat 28:18-20)

All the details are important. We have had a number of people in their sixties and seventies talking with me about getting immersed and confessing Christ in the waters of baptism. It is never to too late to get the details right. One gentleman in his seventies who committed his life to Christ in 1941, and who has been married for over fifty years, was recently immersed because he felt that God wanted him to get that detail right.

Many of you had parents that dedicated you to the Lord when you were babies. But have you gotten the details down as you have gotten old enough to understand what God requries? Whether you have never personally committed your life to Christ, whether you have never personally confessed Christ publicly in the waters of baptism, whether you have never personally used your giftings to serve the family of Christ, . . . it is never too late to get the details done right.

God has special and detailed plans for our lives. There is great blessing waiting for each of us in the details!

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

How many times have I told you not run in God's house!

In our parents' generation it was quite common to refer to the church building as God's house. While no physical edifice these days is technically God's house, it was the place where we gathered together to praise the Lord, learn His Word, and give financially to support the ministry of the local church. While the building may not be God's house, it certainly is a building that has been set apart for a special purpose (i.e., sanctified), and therefore is worthy of our respect in a special sense. The big question is how do we best show our respect when we enter into its gates to fellowship and worship with the family of God?

There is an interesting verse in 1 Kings 6:7 (I'm teaching through the book of 1 Kings on Sunday mornings):

"And the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built."

Why do you think that God's or Solomon's directions were to not have a hammer or chisel or iron tool heard in the temple while it was being built?

Some say it's because God doesn't like noise in His sanctuary. I have to smile at that one. After all God loves kids, and kids make noise :). More germane is Psalm 150:

Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp!
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!

My personal thought that I will leave you on this, is maybe it had more to do with honoring God through our preparation to go to the sanctuary, and not so much with what we do after we get there. The stones were to be so perfectly prepared for the Lord that they didn't need to be messed with at the sanctuary site. Maybe a point is that doing God's work is a 24/7 lifestyle, and that we should be prepared by our service for the Lord during the week, so that we come into the sanctuary ready to perfectly give of ourselves and our labor.

Sanctuary time shouldn't be a rat race and scurrying about during worship and during the teaching of the Word. It doesn't have to be a quiet time, but is should be a focused time- not focused on work, but focused on God. Any thoughts?

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.

All this was done

God works many things in accordance with His plans. Matthew 1:22 says, "So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet'. Matthew 21:4 says, "All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet". And then we come to the horrible story about the betrayal of Jesus in Matthew 26:47-56:

And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him." Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him. But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?" Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?" In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me. But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.

We so often here about Judas betraying Jesus, and yet what about the disciples that did not stay close to him in the rough times? Those that stood bravely by Jesus as long as things were going well, but who abandoned Him when things looked hopeless in their eyes.

Have you stayed by Jesus through the times when things looked hopeless? Have you trusted in Jesus in the times when it didn't look like God was going to do anything to deliver you? Have you had faith in the times when it seemed everything was unraveling before your eyes, as well as in the good times when everything seemed to be working out?

For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
(Heb 6:10-12)

God is faithful. Let's imitate Him!

Yours in Him,
Pastor B.